And the two lay thus together.
Just before she died, Flora turned her head and whispered:
“Adam, ma man, ye'll ha' to be mither and father baith to the lad noo”; and she looked at him with tender confidence in her dying eyes.
“I wull! afore God as I stan' here I wull!” he declared passionately. Then she died, and there was a look of ineffable peace upon her face.
“Mither and father baith!”
The little man rose to his feet and flung the photograph from him. Red Wull pounced upon it; but M'Adam leapt at him as he mouthed it.
“Git awa', ye devil!” he screamed; and, picking it up, stroked it lovingly with trembling fingers.
“Maither and father baith!”
How had he fulfilled his love's last wish? How!